Coal-handling apparatus.



G. W. FREELAND. GOAL HANDLING APPARATUS. I APPLIQATION FILED JULY 11'. 1908, 923,595, Patented July 20,1909. s SHEETS-SHEET 1.

G. W. FREELAND. GOAL HANDLING APPARATUS. APPLIUATION YILED JULY 11. 1908.

Patented July 20, 1909.

5 smug-SHEET i G. W. FREELAND. GOAL HANDLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 11 1908.

- Patented July 20, 1909.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

I I l l r1 G. W. PREELAND. GOAL HANDLING APPARATUS. v APPLICATION FILED JULY 11 1909 92,55.

G. W. PREELAND. GOAL HANDLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 11, 1908- Patented I I I snnms-snnm r storage supply, to be drawn on at intervals for distribution to its place of use, the coal being conveniently supplied to the bin by cans trareling on tracks 1 supported on the framing above the bin. This bin may coinprise a single storage chamber, or it may be divided at intervals by transverse partitions to adapt it for the storage of different kinds of coal, the provision of the several discl'iarging devices arranged at intervals, being to enable the coal to be taken from different partsof the ile, so that in the event of the coal being ex austed at one point the supply at other points may be drawn on.

Arranged in front of the bin and extending throughout the length of the same is a track 5, on which is adapted to travel a truck or wheeled frame 6, carrying a number of receiving storage pockets, four in the present instance, 6, 7, 8 and 9, which pockets are sustained by a suitable framing at an elcva tion above the ground level, so that the coal stored therein may be discharged into cars,

locomotive tenders, or other receptacles on the ground level at the side of the pockets. These storage pockets may be of any suitable form. and construction which will adapt them to be carried on the supporting truck, to receive and hold a quantity of coal and permit the same to be discharged therefrom for use, and l have represented a form of pocket equipped with a weighing mechanism and a discharging gate and chute, which constructions form the subject matter of two applications filed by me, one on the 23rd day of October, 1907, SerialNo. 398,733, and the other on the 30th day of November, 1907, Serial No. 404,477, the said )ockets being in the form of bins or receptacles o 1011 at their up Her ends to receive their supply of c al.

The coal is supplied to the four pockets by means of an elevating mechanism in the form of two elevating receptacles or buckets 9 and 1U, movablc'verticaly at the back oi the framing in front of thc main bin, from a lower position where they receive their supply from the main bin, to an upper position where they dump their contents into the pockets,

which buckets are so operated, as will be presently described, that While one is receiv-- mg its supply from the main bin, the other is discharging its contents into one of the pockets.

Each of the buckets is sus ended by a bail 11 jointed to the sides of t e bucket below the center of gravity, so that the bucket will dump automatically, the bails being connectcables 12 and 1.3 passing.

ed with hoistin over uidin r pulleys sustained by the framing a ove t e pockets, and then downward sir e by side to a windin drum 14 around which the cables are coiled in op osite directions, so that in the rotation of t 10 drum-one cable will be wound up and the other will un Wind, thus causing one bucket to ascend while the other is descending, as before mentioned. The hails are each provided on their opposite sides with studs 15 traveling in vertical guidcways 16 on the framing, and the buckets are provided on opposite sides near the top with studs 17 traveling in vertical guidmvays 18, by which means the bucket is maintained inan upright position throughout its travel, except at the point where it dumps into the receiving pocket, at which point the. guides 18 are deflected forwardly toward the pockets as shown at 18, Fig. 6, thus causing the bucket when it reaches this point to turn forwardly on its axis and discharge its contents.

The buckets discharge into the upper ends of two chutes 19 and 20, each of whic 1 is proconsisting of a plate 21. pivoted midway be-' tween its ends at the ioint where the two branch chutes meet, and ada ted to be shifted alternately to the right or oft to direct the coal respectively to one or the other of the adjacent pockets. This plate is adapted to be operated by the attendantbclow, by means of two ropes 22 and 23, extending upwardly over guiding pfilleys 24 and then inwardly and connccted'with an arm depending centrally from the plate. By pulling on one or the other of these re es, the arm will be shifted and the valve p ate correspondingly sh-ifted on its axis, by which means the flow of coal from the bucket may be caused to enter either pocket as desired.

In their lower positions, as shown articularly in Figs. 1 and 3, the elevator uckets receive their char e of coal from the main bin through the me ium ofthe measuring, devices 4, before alluded to, with which the main bin is equipped at intervals, the ca )acity of a bucket being such as to just hoh the quantity of coal discharged by the measuring evices at each operation, the buckets acting in their descent to effect automatically the o aeration of the measuring devices to charge t e buckets in the manner now to be described.

Asshown more particularlyin Figs. 3 and 7, the measuring-devices 4 are each in the form of a trough of rectangular form in cross-section, and fixed in position through an op'enin in the front of the bin to receive the coal owing through the contracted mouth, the bottom of the troughformingin effect asloping continuation of the slo )ing bottom of the bin. The upper end of t e trough, where it communicates with the interior of the bin, is adapted 115 the trough and 'form in effect a sloping conrocking the gate downwardly to open position,-

fees to he olosed segmental gate carried tween their endspes at by the rear ends oftwo arms 26 pivoted he- 7, to the sides. of the trough and terminating at their forward ends at the lower or-frontj 'endof the trough, the construction hfiing-suchthat-by the rocking of these arms on theiraxis, the gate may he swung upwardly ordownwerdly to close or open the upper endof the trough. At its lower end" the trough he-s pivoted to its hotton a.s at 28,. e coin'hined door and chute 29, which when swung upwardly as shown by dotted lines, will close the lower end of the when. swung downwardly as trough, v and lines, will open the lower end-oi" shown by full tinuetionof the hott onrof the same, thus constituting a chute by which the seal will he directed into the eleve-torhuolret. The door is. locked in closed position'hygmeuns of e kee'perQQ fixed to the side of the do'or'a'nd adaptedwhen the latter is closed, to inter- I 'itsends to the side of "the,

with aspring latchl29 pivoted between trough and proextending arm 29,

vid'ed with a forwardly 1e purpose presently to befdescribed,

7 The gate and door are adapted to operate in unison in sueh nenner that when one'is devices by so :1 I onzeuth bucket in the form of a plot bueket reaches its low'est'position, where it v formed with en open opened the other will be closed, their seep: oration in this manner acting, when: the grte is opened and the door closed, to fill the trough, and ooting when the gate is closed and the'doorop'ened, to discharge the-contents of the trough, the suceessive'ections in this manneriresulting in the'succ essivedischarge of o'definite quantity of tool, the capecity of the trough. To effect this action of the parts in unison, the forward-ends of the;

arms 26 have jointed to them the upper ends: 1' are piv of links 30, the lower ends of whic oted as at 31 to the bottom of the'doo'r at it's sides, so thet'when the door is swung down.

, the arms 26 will be ro'c kedend the be swung upwardly, mid

pwerdly to closed position, the arms. swing gets wit when the. door is swung u in the opposite direction will The automatic operation of the measuring eetion 32 e fixed to the bail 11 at one side and extending rearwerdly towerd'the trough, which date "is curved slot 33 to the side or" which is otter, is efieeted by means ofe proj a projecting finger-34,

pivoted u dog 35 proti'ded with an active end 36' free to move in ega' nstmovement 111;

one ;,j('ii'1'e'otioi1 but held the opposite direction by a stop pin 37 s The relat on of these parts tothe trough and its door, when the latter is in closed position, issuoh thetj list-before the receivesitsicherge,.the active end 36 of the finger will ehge ethe end of arm 29 of the 5 spring let'clyen depressing the latch will rel ji the elevator buckets to charge the" lorrning d .see i :3

leese the keeper, thereby unlocking the doorl Simulteneously the upper wall of the slot 33 engages it stud es the huelret continues to descend, the doors,

tion as shown in l 'igi the stud3S es'this motion continues,'movihg hack in the-slot in the plate. As'this action takes place-arms 26 are rocked {on their antes and act to swing cation of the trough with'the' iiiterior o'f the bin, the result being thst'th 1e tentsol the tro ugh are discharged into the letter reaches its 7 lowest 'receiv wallet the slot. in the plate acting on" the E lstud 38, will swing the d'ooiyupwerdly and 1 continuing inengegement with the stud will act to close'the door and eeiu'se.the'interlooke lug of the keeper with the spring hitch. multeneously with this action, the gate is swuzig' downward to open position permitting the cool in the hinto egiiin fill the trough' It is seen therefore that the buckets as theydemovement serving tounletoh'jhedoor, open it. and close the gate, and "-the ascending movement rioting to close the door, leteh it 1ml open the gate. i' 2 Ahy-suitehle neains may be employed for raising or lowering the elevator-buckets, but" I prefer to adopt .forthis purpose the winding drum and. cables described, and to" operate thev drum by' a motor carried by the truck, 10. preferably it ge s ehgine 40, us shown in Fig.

the truelr, he eeoh'edjustediii-operative reletioii to correspoijidiii ni'eesuring devices at whatever point in thel e'i'rgthof the main bin esire-d. w i

Itis preferable in cases where the main bins 0 discharges at the reer-id level, to provide a pit 4 1 to-permit t. e 'eleVetorhuokets. -to be owered to the proper point-to reoeiye the feherges'from the mea'suringsdeviees', hich I pit extends longitudiimlly'in front of,

main bin esshown in Figs. 1 end'3;

I drum 15 38on the'side'ol' the dooigend is positively swun' i downward to open p osi-- 70 the gateupwardlyuiidielose the 'cornm'uni -75 iok'et its the m s r 1N hen the bucket begins to ascend, the lower '80 ,scend and-ascend aotito automatically'oper- 9o ate the measuring devices, the-descending 2! which y Suitable gearingend beltin may v "coupling up the motor in the'two bucketswy, by the movements of 5 th Having thusdeseribed-myiriiention,whet

1. In an apparatus of.,desori hed,'i 3

the eombu' et on W1th 'e nain f storage bin 9,

provided with a series of discharge openings, of an elevatedreceiving bin movab e along the discharge openings, and an elevating mechanism acting to receive the coal from the discharge openings and discharge the same into the receiving bin."

2. In an apparatus of the type described, the combination with a main storage bin 'provided at intervals with means for dising bin elevated above the ground level and provided with means for discharging its contents into rece )tacles movable on the ground level, and an elevating mechanism act-ing between the main bin and the receiving bin to receive the coal from the former and discharge it into the latterv 4. In an apparatus of the ty 1e described, the combination with a main in provided with a series of dischar e openings, of a truck movable on ways a ong thedischarge openings, a plurality of independent receiving bins mounted on the truck and elevated above the main bin, an elevating mechanism carried by the truck and receiving the coal from the main bin, and means for controlling the discharge of the coal into the different independent bins.

5. In an apparatus of the type described,

' the combination of a main storage bin, discharging mechanisms at intervals thereon, a receiving bin movable from one discharging mechanism to the next, a vertically movable elevating receptacle carried by the receiving bin and adapted when lowered to receive the coal from one of the discharging mechanisms of the main bin, and means for operating said receptacle to discharge its contents into the receiving bin.

6. In an apparatus of the type described, the combination with a main storage bin provided at intervals with discharge openings, of a plurality of receiving bins movable along said openings, and a plurality of ver tical y movable elevator receptacles carried by the receiving bins and spaced apart a distance corresponding to that between the dis. charge openings in the main bin; whereby by the movement of the receiving receptacles along the main bin, the elevatin receptacles may be ad usted in operative reIatlon to the discharge openings in the main bin at dili'erent points therein.

7. In an, apparatus of the type described. the combination with a main storage bin provided at intervals with discharge openings, of

discharge controlling devices associated with said openings, a receiving bin movable alon the main bin, and an elevating device came by the receiving bin and adapted to automatically o erate the discharge controlling devices of t 1e main bin.

8. In an apparatus of the type descrlbed, the combination with a mainstorage bin provided at intervals with discharge controlling provided at intervals with disehargeopem.

ings, of a truck movable along said 0 enmgs, a plurality of receiving bins carrie by the truck, an elevating mechanism adapted to receive charges of the coal from the different 0 enings and acting to elevate the same, a ciiute situated above the receiving pockets adapted to receive the coal from the elevat ing mechanism, and branch chutes extending from the main chute to the different receiving bins.

10. The combination with a storage bin provided at intervals with discharge openings, of a plurality of receiving bins movable along said openings, two elevator buckets carried by the receiving bins and movable vertically, said'b-uckcts being adapted to cooperate with two discharge openings in the main bin.

11. In combination with a storage bin provided with a discharge opening, and with a measuring device including a gate and a cooperating discharge-door, said gate and door adapted't'o be operated alternately so as to discharge a definite quantity of coal by their successive actions, a receiving bin, a vertically movable elevator bucket, and means carried by the bucket and acting on the descent of the same to 0 en the door and close the gate; whereby the ucket will be charged with the contents of the measuring device, and acting on its ascent to close the door and open the gate, whereby the receiving portion of the measuring device will receive a second supply of coal.

12. In an apparatus of the type described, the combination with a main storage bin rovided with a charge measuring device inc uding a discharge-door and. a locking latch therefor, 01 a receiving bin, a vertically movable elevating receptacle to receive the contents of the charge measuring device, and means movable with the receptacle and adapted on the descent of the same to operate the locking latch and release the dis charge'door; whereby the. contents of the measuring device will enter the receptacle.

'13. In an apparatus of the type described, I theoombination with a main storage bin provided at intervals with charge measuring devices, of a truck movable on ways along said measuring devices, a plurality of receiving bins carried by the truck, and a plurality of I vertically movable, receptacles carried also l the truck and adapted to actuate the ge measuring devices; whereby the elevnting receptacles will be automatically charged from the main bin.

' 14. In an apparatus of the'type described, the combination with a storage bin provided at its front with a series of charge measuring devices at intervals, of a truck movable on ways in front of said bin, elevated receiving pockets carried by the truck, and vertically movable elevating buckets also carried by the truck and at the backof said bins and adapted to receive the coal from the charge measuring devlces, and means for operating said elevating buckets to discharge the coal into the ceptacle to receive a receiving pockets.

15. In an apparatus of the type described, I the combination with a main storage bin pro-' vided with a plurality of controllable discharge openings, of a truck movable on Ways 1 along said 0 enings, pairs of coal receiving pockets carried by the truck, a lurality of I elevating receptacles carried a so by the l truck and adapted to be charged from the main bin, and means for directing thecontentsof each bucket into two adjacent receivingpockets. I

In an apparatus of the type described, l the combination with a main storage bin provided with a single-charge measuring device including a gate and a co-acting dischargodoor, and a vertically movable elevating rcsingle discharge of the contents of the charge from the measuring! to actuate the tents. 17. In an apparatus of the type described, 1

and co-acting discharge-door,

and close the charge measuring device alter' nately for discharge of its contents.

the combination with a main storage bin provided with a single-charge measuring device including a stationary box, a co-actlng gate and a discharge-door, and a vertically traveln an apparatus of the type described,

ing'receptacle to receive the single charge of i the contentsfrom the measuring-device and operating, during its downward travel, to actuate the gate and door to open said door and close the gate and, during upward travel of the receptacle, to close the gate.

19. In an apparatus of the type described, the combination with a main storage bin provided with a single-charge measuring device including a stationary box, a co-actmg gate and a discharge-door, and a vertically traveling receptacle to receive the single charge of the contents from the measuring-device and the door and open |operating, during its downward travel, to

actuate the gate and door to open said door and close the gate and, during upwardtravel of the receptacle, to close the door and open the gate, and receiving bin disposed in a plane above the storage bin.

20. In an apparatus of the type described, the combination with a main storage bin pr0- vided with a single-charge measuring device including a stationary box, a co-acting ate anda discharge-door ivoted on the stationary box, and avertica ly traveling receptacle to receive the single charge of the contents from the measuring device and operating, during its downward travel,- to actuate the gate and door to open said door and close the gate and, during upward travel of the recepclose the door and 0 en the gate. In testimony whereof I libreunto set In hand this 25th day of June, 1908, in the presence of two attesting witnesses.

. GEORGE W. FREELAN D.

Witnesses:

G. H. LINDBURG, O. F HUNT. 

